PIL on detention of Bengali-speaking migrant employees: Supreme Court seeks response of Centre, States

The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 14, 2025) agreed to listen to a PIL which alleged that Bengali-speaking migrant employees are been detained on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, nonetheless, refused to cross any interim order with regard to the detention, saying any order can have penalties particularly with respect to folks, who genuinely got here from throughout the borders.

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“States where these migrant workers are working have the right to inquire from their state of origin about their bonafide but the problem is in the interregnum. If we pass any interim orders, then it will have consequences, especially those who have illegally come from across the border and need to be deported under the law,” the Bench stated.

It requested advocate Prashant Bhushan, showing for petitioner West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, to attend for someday for the responses from the Centre and 9 States – Odisha, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and West Bengal.

Mr. Bhushan alleged that individuals are being harassed by the States simply because they converse Bengali language and have paperwork in that language on the idea of a round issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“They are being detained while an inquiry is being held about their bonafide and in some cases, they are even tortured. Kindly pass some interim order that no detention will be held. I have no problem with enquiries but there should not be any detention,” Mr. Bhushan submitted.

The Bench stated some mechanism must be developed to make sure that real residents should not harassed.